Stoli Was Stolen, Claim Russian Feds

Law360 (January 27, 2006, 12:00 AM EST) -- If all goes well for the Russian government, James Bond may be switching to Cosmopolitans. The vodka brand Stolichnaya, once praised by Bond as “Russia’s best vodka,” will be up for grabs in a bitter trademark violation battle set to be duked out in an Australian courtroom this March.

It all began 14 years ago with the fall of the Soviet Union, when the trademarks to six Stoli-related products were stolen, according to Russian authorities. The seized trademarks – worth an estimated $400 million – fell...